Scientific Journal of Dermatology and Venereology
Body Mass Index Categories and Clinical-Epidemiological Profiles of Keloid Scars: A Retrospective Case-Control Study in a Tertiary Referral Hospital in Surakarta, Indonesia
By Ammarilis Murastami and Wieka Budhiwidayanti.
Abstract
Background
Keloids are refractory fibroproliferative scars that grow beyond the original wound margin. Low-grade systemic inflammation linked to higher body mass index (BMI) has been proposed to promote keloid formation, but the clinical evidence is inconsistent.
Objective
To assess whether Asia-Pacific BMI categories are associated with keloid occurrence and to describe the clinical and epidemiological profile of keloid patients at an Indonesian tertiary referral hospital.
Methods
This retrospective case-control study at Dr. Moewardi General Hospital, Surakarta, Indonesia (January 2022 to December 2025) included 100 subjects: 78 keloid patients (ICD-10 L91.0) and 22 dermatology controls. BMI categories were underweight (<18.5 kg/m²), normal weight (18.5–22.9 kg/m²), overweight (23.0–24.9 kg/m²), and obese (≥25.0 kg/m²). Chi-square tests (Fisher’s exact test where expected counts were small) and multivariable logistic regression were used.